Production of animal food compositions typically includes mixing constituent ingredients together and heating to an elevated temperature to cook the ingredients. Conventional apparatus is available for such a process and may typically involve the use of a screwthread conveyor apparatus for heating and mixing the ingredients. Metered portions of cooked composition from the apparatus may be deposited into cans for subsequent sealing, sterilization and cooling.
The heating step in the production process gives rise to changes in the viscosity of the composition which can be difficult to control and which can lead to product variability. The present invention aims to provide improvements in the food composition product and in the process for its production.